Wire-bound box.



A. STURROGK. WIRE BOUND BOX. AE'PLIOATION FILED JUL-Y so, 1912.

PatentedFeb.3,1914

ALEXAND ER STURROCK, OF SOUTH MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

WIRE-BOUND BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed J uly 30, 1912.Serial No. 712,310.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER STURROCK, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at Lorimer street, in the city of SouthMelbourne, a suburb of the city of Melbourne, in the county of Bourke,State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Wire-Bound Boxes, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that type of wirebound box formed. from sheetssuitably spaced apart and united by binding wires, with two cleatssecured to each of the-sides or sheets.

It is a very old practice to produce sec-- tional box blanks capable ofbeing folded or wrapped around two box ends. Usually with foldableblanks after three sides or sections of the blank have been wrappedaround the two boxrends, the said ends are stapled to some or all of thecleats of the said three sides. While the ends, it is true, may bethereby securely retained in position, the box cannot accurately be saidto be a knockdown box as it cannot be quickly reconverted to the boxblankstate without damage to the box ends. It has also hitherto beenthought necessaryin many constructions, that the side cleats shouldinterengage at their meeting ends and the said ends at their extremitieshave sometimes been step-mitered to effect this purpose.

The object of the present invention is to provide a box, having all theadvantages of prior boxes, but cheaper to manufacture and simpler ofconstruction. 1

The invention, lies chiefly in providing sliding ends which have cleatsthereon intercngaging and also interlocking with side cleats, in asimple and efficient manner. The end cleats and the side cleats are bothcut from one length of material which 'greatly minimizes the cost ofproduction. The said box also has many other advantages which will beimmediately apparent to those acquainted with the art.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification:-Figure1 is a perspective view of a side cleat. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofa side with two cleats, of the character seen in Fig. 1, in position.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an end cleat. Fig. l is a perspectiveview of a box bad with two cleats, of the character seen in Fig. 3, inposition. Fig. 5 is a perv spective View of a box blank according tothis invention. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a partly assembled boxaccording to'this invention. One slidin end is slightly elevated and thefourth side, (5') lid or'top of -the box is thrown back for illustrativepurview showing the interlocking of an end and a side cleat. Fig.- 8 isa perspective view of transportation of goods.

sheets. These comprise a first side 2, a second side 3, a third side 4,and a fourth side and area.

Attached to each side Each cleat has each of its ends 7 beveled ormitered. The ends are quite plain. Formed inclined surface-9. Theundercut surface 9 provides an overhanging edge 10 and thesaid"longitudinal inclined surface .9, and also the longitudinal squaresurface 8, may

piece or projecting locking strip 11.

it will be noticed extend from one edgeof the side to which they areattached to the other. The cleats 6, attached .to the second side 3 andthecleats 6 attached to the fourth side 5, however, it will be seenterminate are attached for a distance equal to the thickness .of'thematerial forming the sides. It will be seen that all'of the cleats areof similar conformation. lutely necessary, but is incidental to thembecause itis cheaper to cut one long length of material into s o-rtsections instead of pro viding two or more diflerent materials withoutattaining any better effects.

binding wires. The two outer binding Wires 12,- are secured tothe saidsides by staples usual. The intermediate binding wire 14, is secured tothe sides by staples 15. If these penetrate through the sides the pointsare bent over inside the box. Each end of each binding wire projectsbeyond the extreme Patented Feb. 3, 1914'. a

The cleats 6, attached to the first side 2, and the cleats 6 attached tothe third side 4,.

poses. Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional plan cs] I a box assembled andcomplete as used for the v The invention includes a plurality of side ito" 5. The sides are preferably formed from a thin lumber and may be ofany desired size are two side cleats in each cleat is a longitudinalinstep, hav i mg a square surface 8 and an undercut or vary in width ordepth. Formed by the in-' j step of each cleat is a longitudinalretaining short of each edge of the side to which they This is notabsoice Uniting the side sheets 2, 3, l and 5, are

13, which staples penetrate through the sides I and thereby also retainthe side cleats 6 as is edges of. the box blank, forming wire extensions16 as is also common to most box blanks.

With the foregoing are used two end sheets17. Attached to each end sheetis a verticalsquare-ended end cleat 18. Each end and formed by theinstep is a longitudinal retaining piece or projecting locking strip itwill be seen that the end cleats terminate short of the top and bottomedges of the box ends for a distance equal to the full width of the sidecleats. The said end cleats it will be further observed, are positionedupon the box ends inwardly from the side edges thereof for a distanceapproximately equal to the width of the side cleats. The end cleats are,it willyalso be observed, of the same section as the side cleats and arecut from the same length of material which effects a very great saving.

With this invention to assemble a box from the. box blank condition, itis only necessary to lift the first side 2, so that it will rest uponthe adjoining edge of the second side 3. The beveled ends? of the sidecleats 6 of the two sides are then abutting against each other at oneend as seen in Figs. 6 and 8. The third side 4 is now lifted upon theother edge of the second side 3 and the side cleats abut against eachother at An end sheet 17 has now their other ends. to be placed inposition. To effect this it is only necessary to aline the undercutsurface 9 of the side cleats 6, with the undercut surface of thevertical cleats 18. The end is then pushed downwardly and by the lockingstrips 11 and 22 is firmly held in position. The end, it will benoticed, provides an uninterrupted interior surface and reaches from thebottom to the top of the box. The

other end of the box is similarly positioned.

The box may now be filled when the fourth side 5 is closed down as seenin Fig. 8. The wire extensions 16 are now twisted together and preventthe box from opening. It will be seen from Fig. 8 that owing to theinstep formed in the cleats of the second side 3, there is a fingerspace 23 provided beneath each end cleat 18. Should it be desired toconvert the box back tot-he box blank state, after untwisting the wiresand throwing back the lid or fourth side 5, the fingers may be insertedin the space 23 and by pressing upon the cleats 6 of the second side 3,the ends 17 of the box' may be lifted upwardly. The said ends continueto slide upward until the cleats 18 have disengaged from the cleats 6.The sides of the box may then all be lowered to the horizontal plane.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A box comprising opposite side sheetseach having grooved cleats on each end, each grocved cleat having aprojecting locking strip on ts face opposite the side sheet, said striphaving its outermostface beveled; end sheets adapted to fit between theopposite side sheets and against the inner faces of the cleats thereon,and two end cleats secured to each end sheet and provided with lockingstrips on their opposite faces opposite the locking strips on the sidecleats, said locking strips being beveled on their inner faces oppositeto the bevels on the locking strips of the side cleats, the bevelededges of the locking strips on the end and side cleats interlocking toprevent lateral separation of the side sheets, substantially asdescribed.

2. A box blank consisting of opposite side sheets, opposite cleatssecured to the sheets adj aeent their outer ends, said cleats havingbeveled locking strips 11 on their opposing faces, and two end sheetsadapted to be placed between the opposed side sheets, and bear againstthe inner faces of the cleats attached thereto, and end cleats attachedto the outer face of each end sheet-and having beveled locking strips 22on their opposite faces, the locking strips 11 of the cleats on the endpieces being adapted to engage the locking strips 22 of the cleats onthe side sheets, when the end side sheets are inserted between the sidesheets with top and bot--' tom pieces provided with end cleats. adaptedto engage the outer faces of the end sheets between thecleats on theside sheets, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I ALEXANDER STURROCK. Witnesses:

CECIL MCLEASTBIN, GEORGE A. MREN.

